It’s that time of year again! As in, it’s usually around this time that I start to question every goal I made for the new year… and my ability to see them through. 

Winter break always confused me during my school years because I couldn’t understand why it was longer. Frankly, I still don’t. You’re telling me I can’t spend all my time baking cookies, watching movies, and playing in the snow anymore? I call nonsense. The Colorado winters of my childhood had many a white Christmas, very few snow days, just a few blizzards, and I still don’t understand why the world can’t just stop for a while and take it all in. On the contrary, it seemed a mark of resilience for people to continue life as normal despite any wintry weather mix.

I met many friends in adolescence who lived with seasonal depression. They had to take a lot of time and what little energy they had to take extra careful care of themselves in the winter months. My heart ached for them, once again wishing the world would just slow down for a bit and at least take the time to nourish those who need it most. 

And then I realized… maybe we all need that time. 

My residence in the Natural State is nearing a decade and the culture shock of everything closing down for an inch of snow may have been one of my favorite adjustments. 

The winding Ozark roads become treacherous, and every local knows to stock up on food and water. Those who lived in Arkansas during the last major blizzard have told me stories about being without power for two weeks. Because that one inch of snow also means an inch of ice underneath, thanks to the Southern humidity we all know and begrudgingly accept.

Despite living in a rural area that drastically quiets down between tourist seasons every year, working service and retail jobs still demanded my time and energy (albeit at reduced hours) when the world around us seemed to be at a standstill. I’ll admit that my heating bill demanded it, too. But all my life, my soul yearned for a time of hibernation, a period of silence inside and out. A time to be full and sleepy. A time to let go, dig deep, and see how my roots need tending before the next season begins.

This is why I rarely try and always fail with new year’s resolutions. That sweet smelling, warm-from-the-inside feeling of the holidays is simply not meant to propel us through Winter until the Spring sunshine peeks through. It is meant to remind us how fulfilling it is to slow down with loving reassurance. The nourishment of rest will fortify the soul if we let it. That barely trying and always failing is absolutely a self-fulfilling prophecy around the new year, I admit that. Flowers are simply not meant to bloom in frozen soil.

The world may not stop for us, but we can slow down for ourselves and each other. Our very own creative drive will easily burn us out if we don’t stop and experience stillness. Our branches must rest.

We at Virtuosa Society have been feeling the same after reflecting on all the beautiful blossoms of last year. In 2024, we are embracing a seasonal vision: treating ourselves as we would treat a rose in our secret boudoir library garden. Her petals are soft, her thorns are sharp, and her bloom and rest are equally certain.

The earth’s every season has a clear intention: 

to nourish, cultivate, flourish, and renew.

May our nature be as nature herself.

I am seasonal.

We invite you to join us in soaking up the slow nature of the remaining winter days, inviting nourishment into your home and heart. This is a time to fortify our soil and mix in all of the nutrients remaining from last year in preparation for this year’s garden.

In the Spring, it will be a time to plant and invest in our seeds for the year, pairing each future growth with a complimentary neighbor and tending to their development. Stay tuned for updates - we will have lots more to share about member-exclusive Garden Party chats at the start of every season. We will come together as the loving society we are and revel in our creative visions for the year, sharing support and resources to help each other make it happen.

Summer will follow with loving consistency in tending to our growth, finding harmony with the pollinators in our lives who naturally contribute to the well-being of our inner garden. This means putting in the work to pull some weeds and keep out anything that threatens to feed off of our success. Luckily for us, this is always work worth doing. Another Maestra Masterclass is also in the works to further help guide us to flourishing - more to come!

With Fall comes the harvest, a time to gather everything we have worked so diligently to create and maintain. May we reap the rewards of creative success from our roots to the sky, flourishing with the garden of our dreams! Just as a season of rest and renewal is vital to our yearly growth, we must also take time to rejoice in our accomplishments. You are capable, you are brilliant, and you deserve to be proud of the growth you have made. 

There will be more to come regarding our new quarterly (and virtual) Garden Party chats, as well as the next Maestra Masterclass this summer. 

We hope you will embrace this journey with us, transitioning with the seasons as naturally as the natural world. It may take time, and that’s okay. We’re here for you with resources, support, and encouragement.

Happy Hibernating,

Caia Claire